ARC Review: Off the Ice by Julie Cross

After a friend told me about Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross and I read and loved it, I couldn't wait to read more from her. That book was so much fun to read, it was refreshing and sweet and everything I love in a good YA/NA sports romance. So I jumped when offered the chance to read Off the Ice, especially since I am a huge hockey fan. So it was a bit disappointing that I struggled so much with this book. 

Claire O'Connor returns home from college to help her dad and the family business, with the promise to herself that her time there will be short. As soon as things return to normal, she will be gone again. But once there, she finds that Tate Tanley isn't just a part of her past, and he is no longer the same guy she remembers. The attraction between them is stronger than ever, and besides the fact that she is leaving again, Tate is about to become the hockey team's new star player. While she swore off Juniper Falls hockey players, Claire soon realizes that there just might be more there between her and Tate than she can ignore.

I had a tough time relating to these characters and because of that I never felt fully invested in them. I couldn't connect with them and it felt like there was so much going on around them that they were hardly the focus of the story. I wanted more hockey and more romance, and instead we got more of Claire's struggles with her dad and the business and Tate's being scouted. It just felt like the romance and relationship were a bit lost here and I wanted to see more of that than I felt like we did. 

Overall, there were some good parts to this story but it just wasn't what I was expecting. Because I had loved everything about Whatever Life Throws at You, I expected this one to be similar and to really see Tate and Claire really shine here. Unfortunately they felt like such a small part of this story and it just ended up being okay for me when I think that I could have really loved this one.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Feature and Giveaway: Off the Ice by Julie Cross

The NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Whatever Life Throws at You kicks off a brand-new series perfect for fans of Miranda Kennealy and Abbi Glines.

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

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ARC Review: Wait for Dark by Kay Hooper

Wait for Dark is book 17 of Kay Hooper’s Bishop/SCU series (fifth book for this publisher) and even though I rated this one a four star it was exponentially better than the one before it, Fear the Dark was quite good but it seemed redundant to drawn out. This one is the one I have been waiting for. Hollis and Reese have been dancing around each other for the last five books. Finally Reese has said enough is enough and puts everything out on the table and basically tells Hollis this is how I feel about you I know you feel the same there is no backing away from me anymore. Yay! I love those two but tbh I hope I don’t see them again in another book for a while because they have been the main characters in the last six books Fear the Dark the exception. My theory is that Hollis and Reese are leading up to take over for Bishop and Miranda in the future. This isn’t a stand-alone but you don’t have to read every book before this one, probably just the ones with Hollis in them (like nine books) only because the background they cover in this book mentions the pertinent history there is so much more information so much more of the story behind Hollis in the books.

This book was dark, creepy and really good. It balanced the action and suspense with the talking it out much better than the previous two books. Hollis and Reese along with new comers Kirby and Cullen are called down to the tiny North Carolina town of Clarity to uncover the truth behind a string of “accidents”. The sheriff, Mal Gordon, who called them in had a gut feeling that the accidents weren’t what they seemed, he followed his instinct and looked up the victims phone records and discovered they all received a text messages all the same time of day of their deaths; the message read “wait for dark”. Upon the arrival of Hollis and her team it escalates to a brutal murder. Nothing is quite what it seems from the staged deaths to the people in town. Top it all off, Hollis is dealing with another emerging talent, her abilities come out as an as needed basis.

The creepy vile villain behind this gets his own third person POV which you get to see how disturbed his mind is and hints at the true meaning and goal behind his madness. The book starts with a bang and continues with a line of increasingly grotesque incidents. I really like how dark this series has gotten, Hooper has shifted the focus of the books and focus’ more on the suspense then the romance and that’s just fine by me. I hope to see more of Kirby and Cullen, I enjoyed those two. Overall, this was another great book for the series. I love this series it has to be one of my favorites I’ve been reading them almost from the beginning, I own them all. One of the things I love about it is the fact that every book focus on a different couple so I really hope (even though I know I’ll probably be wrong) the next book does not center on Hollis and Reese.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Feature and Giveaway: A Limited Engagement by Bethany Michaels

Derek Sawyer, sexiest bad boy on the racing circuit, is about to land a huge sponsor. The only problem is the oil baron’s daughter wants to make Derek part of the deal. Worried he’ll offend the old billionaire if he rejects his daughter, Derek comes up with the perfect plan—pretend he’s already engaged to his friend Lilly.

Lilly Harmon used to daydream about her childhood crush Derek proposing to her…but not like this. Of course, she just lost her boyfriend and her job, so her five-year plan is already smashed to hell. Pretending to be with Derek might help her get her PR career back on track.

But the oil baron’s daughter won’t give up that easily, and Derek’s parents believe the engagement proves he’s become the son they always wanted.

Money. Family. Love. The truth could destroy everything. And to think this engagement was supposed to be the easy way out.

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Feature and Giveaway: Secrets of a Reluctant Princess by Casey Griffin

At Beverly Hills High, you have to be ruthless to survive…

Adrianna Bottom always wanted to be liked. But this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Now, she’s in the spotlight…and out of her geeky comfort zone. She’ll do whatever it takes to turn the rumor mill in her favor—even if it means keeping secrets. So far, it’s working.

Wear the right clothes. Say the right things. Be seen with the right people.

Kevin, the adorable sketch artist who shares her love of all things nerd, isn’t exactly the right people. But that doesn’t stop Adrianna from crushing on him. The only way she can spend time with him is in disguise, as Princess Andy, the masked girl he’s been LARPing with. If he found out who she really was, though, he’d hate her.

The rules have been set. The teams have their players. Game on.

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